Tuesday, April 20, 2004

"It's sugar. It's all about sugar," Barrett said. "Getting sugar out of schools is very important."

"I literally have to teach people about how to feed their children and build the foundation of healthy teeth," Barrett continued. "Parenting is a lost skill. People just sit and wait for an agency to tell them how to do things."

"We have unbelievable dental needs among Durham children. I was just amazed at the amount of tooth decay that I saw when I started working with the poor and uninsured. It's impressive to me that children's teeth are so bad in the City of Medicine.' "

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

"Still, the dental van does catch serious problems. Last year in Shawnee County, 55 percent of the more than 1,780 children screened were found to have fair to poor oral health. Nearly 200 had problems that needed immediate or emergency care"

Saturday, April 10, 2004

"a health department funded Indiana University School of Dentistry study indicating that while Marion County children visit the dentist above national standards, they also have above average rates of cavities and other dental decay"

"Citing preliminary results of a 2003 survey of third-grade students on MassHealth, the report said 65 percent have a history of dental disease, 40 percent have untreated decay, and 16 percent have urgent needs requiring immediate care"

"Nader used his celebrity status and wealth to play a role in issues ranging from managing a local hospital to trying to eliminate fluoride in the town water."

"'The Naders are controversial in town,' said local businessman Jedd Gould, who supports the family. At the end of a long town meeting, others 'might want to go home, but the Naders want to talk about fluoride in the water. They are not shy about making what they consider the right thing happen.'"

Times Online - Health: "Nigel Carter, the chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF), traces the decay in services back to the Seventies ? ironically, to when fluoride was introduced to toothpaste. Tooth decay fell suddenly by more than 40 per cent and the number of dentists was cut. ?The expected downturn in demand has been anything but that. It?s not just fill and extract today ? demands are much higher,? Carter says. "

"Any day now, the profession expects to see the results of an NHS manpower review of dentistry. It is likely to conclude what everyone already knows: that there is a shortage of dentists willing to work in the NHS"

"fluoride toxicity can occur when large amounts of fluoride are ingested during a short period of time. Children under age 6 account for more than 80% of reports of suspected overingestion. Although outcomes are generally not serious, several hundred children turn up in emergency rooms each year. Symptoms of fluoride toxicity may include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased salivation, or increased thirst. Symptoms begin 30 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 24 hours. If you suspect your child may have eaten a substantial amount of a fluoridated product or supplement, call the poison control center or 911. Be sure to keep toothpaste, supplements, mouth rinses, and other fluoride-containing products out of children's reach or in a locked cabinet. You should also supervise your young child's toothbrushing sessions to make sure that he doesn't swallow toothpaste or other fluoridated products. "

"In response to claims that water fluoridation is dangerous, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewed research on dental caries prevention and public policy, including fluoridation. It agreed with antifluoride activists that many studies in this area are of poor quality"